If 26 Could Be Forever
by loveact143
Summary: Throughout his whole life the path of blood never seemed to leave him. SasuSaku One-Shot Collection. 26 different ways their love grows.
1. Always

_'Shit…it's not true, she's alive…she's alive…there's no way she could be-' _His thoughts were cut off as he reached the door to her room at the hospital. Through the glass window to her room he could see her, and he nearly stopped breathing at the mere sight of her fragility. "Sakura…" he breathed against the window, fogging it up before it faded away. A hand clasped at his shoulder made him defensive as he turned his head with a low growl, ready to kill anyone who would try to enter. But his fortification broke down once again as he saw his blonde teammate with the same eyes lingering on her figure. "Teme…she's not-" he started but Sasuke cut him off. "No." he replied, because he would not hear that word, from anyone's lips again.

_Dead..._

No one knows how long they sat slumped against the wall, in silence listening to the monitor that thrummed her heartbeat. At the slightest alteration of its rhythm, they jumped quickly and panicked for a doctor, having to have several ninjas calm the males down. And they could not help but feel guilt as they repeated her chart in their minds, branding it deep into memory, with remorse.

_Description: Heavy wounds inflicted to her ribs, 4 broken. Left lung pierced, with hemorrhaging in the brain. Several fractures on her wrists as well as ankles. _

No, that's not what worried them they knew all this before they even arrived at the hospital.

_Chance of survival: 5%_

It nearly made them shatter the clipboard in half when they saw that. Sasuke stood up fiercely and marched to a doctor passing by. "Can't you do something?! What are you fucking idiots?!" he shouted, his hands fisted deeply into the doctor's coat. "I-I tried my be-"Sasuke cut him off by slamming him into the wall, as his eyes bled into the familiar crimson red. "Don't give me that fucking bullshit!" he roared. A groan of pain passed the doctor's lips but he did not dare stare into his eyes, as he continued to shake in fear.

Suddenly, Sasuke was thrown back against the opposing wall and held down by his best friend. "Get the fuck off dobe!" he growled, desperately wanting to rip apart the doctor's throat. But Naruto didn't release his hold but whispered two words to calm him down.

_She's alive. _

He lay on the floor stunned, wondering how she had even managed to avoid a coma and be alive. Without hesitation, he ran into her room and saw her.

_So fragile… _

_Innocent..._

_And mine._

"Sakura…" he whispered and she heard him call his name faintly. A small smile cracked on his face as he saw her in his arms alive. "I was so scared, I almost beat the-"but he couldn't finish as her lips were placed over his own. She pulled away to look at him. Sasuke, the man she had been infatuated with since childhood, and now well into the adulthood, had more love for her than she had fantasized about. "I'm here and that's all that matters, Sasuke-kun."

_Sasuke-kun…_

_No one could call his name like that._

It felt so good to hear her say his name because his name slipping from her lips as he held her near to dead body before was not something he wanted to encase as his last image of her.

_Because she's mine,_

_I'll protect her. _

_I'll show her…I love her._

_Always..._

The tug on his shirt returned his focus on her small porcelain face. "Hn?" he asked staring into her eyes. She intertwined their hands, his entirely covering her own, but none the less, glimpsing with the small silver bands. "I love you Sasuke-kun." And those simple words made his heart flutter, and he clung to them desperately as he did the same to her body wrapped tightly against his own. He couldn't believe this was real because just a few hours ago, she was in her own pool of blood, with his tears dropping on to her limp body.

_Flashback start:_

"_Get back!" Sasuke yelled to the fellow jounins who were ahead of him pushing back the enemy. But all coherent thoughts escaped his mind as he saw her healing one of his men. "Sakura, pull back!" he yelled to her, hands cupped around his mouth in emphasis. Even from that distance he could see her shake her head in a defiant no. Being stubborn she continued to heal him, all the while creating craters to crush anyone who neared her. But the instant he turned his back to take care of the new wave of troops a piercing scream had echoed in the sky. His head whiplashed back to where she had been. And it was a sight he had not wanted to see. A katana had been stabbed right through her chest, and she fell on top of the patient she had been taking care of. Without a second to lose, his own katana sliced through the assassin that had stabbed Sakura. _

_Pure rage boiled from deep inside, hatred worse than betrayal pumped through his veins as he realized that his second chance at love was almost at its end. He closed his eyes once then snapped them open, to see it swirling mad. The enemy was starting to close in on them, but their moves were so predictable and slow with his eyes. "Chidori nagashi." He murmured as he saw sparks of lightning shock those around them. It was dead silent besides the noise of someone sobbing. He didn't realize it was his own voice crying out in agonizing grief for the loss. But he would not lose someone again, especially not her, and with that he ran to the hospital. _

_Flashback end:_

_Because she showed me something I couldn't see._

_A chance at love…_

They held each other until he heard her slight groan of pain that startled him. He quickly let her down on to the bed, and slipped in next to her. Their hands were still intertwined beneath the sheets, because it was all they had left for love.

_Because she's everything I've come to adore._


	2. Blood

Age 8

A strong stench of blood lingered heavily in the air, as a young boy stood in the blood which trailed to two lifeless bodies on the wooden floors. "Otou-san, Okaa-san?" he called out whimpering and sniffling between tears. Shocked barely described what ran through his mind as he fell to his knees in front of them, tears constantly spilling from his eyes onto the floor. He heard small light footsteps in front of him, and there stood what had made his breath stop, his brother. Dark red dangerous eyes swirled violently as he looked down pitifully at his younger brother. "Why?" the younger one shook violently, choking on the much needed air. "I wanted to test my skills." He said eyes cold and voice void of all emotion. His small fists clenched tightly as he ground his teeth together with force, fierce onyx eyes looked up to him. "To test your skills, it that all?" he shouted, the thunder that shattered in the skies adding to the anger in his voice. The older man said nothing but stood there, red eyes still spinning madly. He then looked into his eyes, his younger brother falling into a trance. "You will relive this memory for 72 hours." he said as he disappeared. The young boy slumped against the wall and clutched his hair trying to stop the memory from replaying. A cry of anguish echoed across town, as he created a pool of tears in which he himself lay.

Age 12

He lay there, pain shooting throughout his entire body as blood seeped from various wounds, but he was alive. He could hear distant cries, shouting out his name. His eyes squinted open to make out an image of pink. "Sakura?" he called out. Her cries of despair came to a halt as she stared down at him, her emerald irises boring into his obsidian. No thoughts ran through his mind, as she clutched his body to her, breaking out in sobs again. "You're heavy." He coughed, as he felt a jolt of pain run through him. She sniffled in an attempt to cease her tears, but still watched over him, as he noticed the blood that stained his fingers.

Age 15

Dark clouds began to converge and rain began to fall from the heavens. The blood that pooled around the dead body distilled with the rain. A figure shadowed the face of the corpse. A solemn look on his face as the blood stain on his sword obviously pointed out what exactly he had done. Everything he had thrown away to do was finished here and now. But he felt no sense of achievement. For the second time in his life he felt tears gathering at the corners of his eyes, and no matter how hard he tried to hold them back, they spilled down his cheeks. He was the only Uchiha alive, and for what? It all seemed pointless, and he became angry, angry that his village had turned on him like that. There was no choice left he would destroy the very birth place of him…Konoha Village.

Age16

Everything lay in rubble and in the midst of all of it one man stood alone…Sasuke. All around him he saw blood and destruction. His blood red sharingan faded to onyx again as he searched through the debris for the one person he always had neglected. "Sakura..." He called out and her head turned to him, but she held Naruto's lifeless body in her arms. "How could you?" she shouted, emerald eyes glaring in fury, as she sobbed over the loss. No matter how much chakra she poured into the blonde haired teen the blood continued to flow from the wound through his stomach. No longer could he stand to see it. He grabbed her and held her against him. "You're coming with me." He asked, well more like demanded. She scoffed and shook his hand off her wrist. "Fuck off Uchiha. That may have worked on me 4 years ago but I don't have any use for traitors like you." She snarled turning away from him. Angry that she had rejected him, he tried to snatch her wrist again. Fed up, Sakura turned, fist ready with chakra, punched him across the face. The sudden impact had him caught off guard and he skidded on the ground a couple hundred yards away from her.

Growling, he stood up and dusted his pants off, before reappearing in front of Sakura. He knocked her out and held her protectively against his taut arms. His mouth neared her ear, and he whispered although he knew she couldn't hear him, "You're mine Sakura, and you have no say." As he walked past the rubble formerly Konoha, he did not look back once, too focused on the woman in his arms.

Age 18

He couldn't know how to describe this feeling he had for her. Two years with this girl, no woman who had refused him and hit across the face upon their reunion until he had been in his own pool of blood. Still as he towered over her figure in his master bedroom he knew with certainty that this feeling had to be love. "Sakura, look at my face." He commanded. It was demanding yet held the undertone that was gentle. Her eyes lingered on his face. "Beautiful." He whispered. She was still angry she had fallen for him yet again. Not that she ever fell out but she had begun to hate him when he decided to re-enter her life. She was about to retort when she felt his lips against her own. He slid off the robe onto the floor as his hands began to undress her. It was impossible to speak when she was in pleasure and in response all she could do was grab him closer to her own body.

"Sasuke-kun…" she moaned, his hands wandering up and down her curvaceous body. His lips slanted against hers, probing her bottom lip for permission, which she granted without thinking. Her legs wrapped tightly around his waist, as he drew in nearer to her hot aching body. A quiet moan slipped out of her lips, when she felt him hard and heavy against her entrance. "Sakura…let me take you, so the whole world will know you're mine." He murmured into her as he cupped her breasts in a satisfying slow motion. "Ah…yes Sasuke-kun, take me…" she responded, drawing him near her. Grasping onto her lean thighs, he thrust in. With the sudden spark of pain, her nails scored down his back to try and ease it, but she could still feel the blood of her innocence run down from her thighs.

"Shit, did that hurt a lot?" he asked her, wiping away the few tears that slid down her cheeks. Whimpering in pain she nodded as he struggled to stay still within her tight body. Her breaths began to stabilize and he took it as a sign to move again. So he thrust into her, his hips moving forward rhythmically into her feverish body. "S-Sasuke-kun…" she moaned while urging him to move faster. Hearing his name fall from her delicate lips in a breathy moan set him off as they continued at a quicker rhythm to reach the heights of ecstasy. "Sasuke-kun!" she screamed as she tightened around him, milking him completely with her release. He responded quickly to her climax, thrusting inside of her hard enough to reach her spot and release. A warm feeling quickly replaced the coolness of her sweat as she bathed in her afterglow. "I love you." He whispered. A stunned smile was on her face, as she replied, "I love you too Sasuke-kun."

Age 21

"No….no!" he shouted shaking her limp body in his arms. "Sakura please…" he begged tears running down his cheeks. His eyes opened wide in shock when he felt a hand caress his cheek. "You can do better without me." She said. "What are you saying? I've been with you for 5 years, I love you Sakura." He pleaded. "Sorry Sasuke-kun, it seems it's my time." She murmured as she closed her eyes. "No!" he shouted as rain began to fall upon them. Time stood still for him. Silence burdened his shoulders heavily as he only heard his own heart beat. Her body felt colder and lifeless, and her eyes were a faded shade of emerald. He cried continuously, as he felt her grip on his shirt loose.

_She was dead._

Age 22

"Sasuke, you have to get over it, she's been dead for over a year now." Naruto told him as he held Sasuke's shoulder in comfort. But Sasuke sat in front of her grave, face remaining still as his eyes focused on the words engraved on the tomb. 'KIA Sakura Uchiha.' With deep sorrow his fingers ran across the letters, remaining especially longer on her name. "I let this happen." He said while he was kneeled over her tombstone. There was not a day when he did not go visit her grave with fresh flowers. With his looming depression he could not go on missions and broke from Team 7 and gave his ninja life up. "This is not what Sakura would have wanted Sasuke." Naruto argued while looking down at his friend. "And how would you know what she wanted?" Sasuke snapped, not wanting to hear anything about what Sakura, when she lay beneath the earth. A small white envelope that was placed in front of his eyes shocked him. "She wanted me to give this to you, that's how I know." Naruto said and then he left Sasuke to think.

With trembling hands, he opened the envelope to find a letter, and he smelled the fragrance that she had always enveloped with her.

_Sasuke-kun, it's been a year now probably since my death if that idiot had enough patience to hold it back until this time. Even in death I miss you because you're not here with me. But you mourning over me is something I don't want. It breaks my heart that you're so sad. I see you crying from where I reside, and I wish I could hug you again. Live a good life, until we meet again. Love, Sakura._

Tears prickled the man's eyes when he read the letter from his life. He placed the letter into the envelope and shoved it into his pocket. Reaching into his kunai holster, he grabbed one and quickly stabbed himself in the heart. "Life can't be good without you, and I'll go where you are so I can finally be happy again.

Blood once again pooled onto the earth, and remained there. It seems a ninja can never escape the path of blood traveling throughout their lives.


End file.
